


The Michelangelo Effect

by Canadiantardis



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adam (Voltron) Lives, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Getting Back Together, Getting Together, Hospitals, M/M, Multi, One Shot, Past Relationship(s), Pre-OT3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-21 07:49:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16572584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Canadiantardis/pseuds/Canadiantardis
Summary: When Shiro couldn’t see him in the groups where Katie and Lance’s families were with Garrison personnel, he feared the worst.





	The Michelangelo Effect

**Author's Note:**

> Spite might be the biggest motivator ever.  
> I'd like to thank my harasser for the inspiration. Hope all yall enjoy!

When Shiro couldn’t see him in the groups where Katie and Lance’s families were with Garrison personnel, he feared the worst. _He could have left the Garrison and had been unprepared when the invasion occurred, or he could have fought against the Galra. But with the weapons Earth had, he would have been annihilated._

Allura took his hand in hers and gave it a comforting squeeze, bringing Shiro out of his spiralling thoughts. She had been doing it a lot since they had first become friends.

The two waited even as the younger teens and Romelle and Coran went on ahead to talk to the civilians – mostly Katie and Lance’s families whom the two Paladins would not let go of – but instead went forward to Iverson who stood to the side. Allura never let go of his hand, standing behind him by a half-step for emotional support.

“Sir.” He nodded, with his only hand occupied.

“Shirogane.” Iverson, on the other hand, did salute respectfully to him, his one eye squinting at him with a calculating expression. “I… must apologize for the time we saw you.”

“Bridge under the water, Iverson.” Shiro gave a small, easy smile that seemed to loosen the Commander’s tense shoulders. “It was procedure, even if it wasn’t for the best.”

“Yeah. Commander Holt said much the same when we quarantined him as well.” His head turned to where the Holts – minus Matt – were in a pile, just a couple metres from the large family surrounding Lance. “We’re lucky we learned our lesson before the attack occurred.”

“When was the attack?” Allura asked.

“Almost three years ago.” Iverson answered, looking her up and down with a question on his face.

“Oh, this is Princess Allura of Altea.” Shiro introduced. “Allura, this is Commander Iverson, sort of a friend and colleague of mine.”

“I’ve heard some bad stories about you from the other Paladins, Commander.” Allura looked Iverson up and down in the same manner he had done a moment earlier, and her comment made both men splutter in surprise.

“Of course they wouldn’t have a lot of praise for me.” The man turned again to the teenagers. “I can’t say I blame them. I was harsh on each one for multiple reasons.” He turned back and straightened his back. “But it doesn’t matter. We’re in war, and according to Commander Holt, you’re our best hope of surviving.”

“Speaking of surviving, sir.” Shiro started, his voice dropping the formality tone. “Since the Kerberos mission, what happened with Adam?”

Allura squeezed his hand again, and he squeezed back, needing the reassurance from her as the fear caught in his voice.

Iverson looked between the two before taking a step to the side. “You’ll want to come with me.” His eye turned to Allura. “Best alone.”

“Whatever it is includes Allura.” Shiro said, lifting their joined hands. “She’s coming with us.”

Iverson looked between the two of them before sighing and conceded, gesturing for them to follow.

“I’m not sure how much you know of what happened.” He started as the three of them walked into the building, the familiar walls looking foreign to Shiro.

“All we knew when we arrived was that the Galra had invaded, thanks to the message Pidge picked up.” Allura answered.

“Then this might be a long story.” Iverson sighed, shaking his head. “At least it’s a long way to get where we need to go.”

* * *

 

“The entire team was wiped within minutes of being sent out.” Iverson told solemnly, stopping outside a door to finish his explanation. “We thought they all perished on impact of those damned weapons the Galra used, but… The scouts found the two in critical condition. We weren’t sure either would make it.”

“Who survived?” Shiro asked, his heart in his throat.

“Nazari had been in a coma for the first couple months of the invasion, but she pulled through faster than…” Iverson trailed off as he opened the door to the hospital room, where Shiro and Allura could see two occupied beds.

A young woman around their age was out of her bed, one hand clutching the railing of her bed. She looked surprised to see the visitors before her eyes went huge at the sight of Shiro.

“Takeshi!” She cried, her voice high, but thinner and weaker than the last time he had heard her what felt like three years ago. “You’re bloody alive!”

The cry attracted the attention of the second bed’s occupant, and Shiro looked over to see brown eyes hidden behind half-moon glasses, a scar starting from his cheekbone and going downwards, past the neck-hole of the hospital gown, and wild hair he only remembered from late mornings when they would both be lazy after a long date.

It was like looking at a ghost, the last memory of his ~~ex~~ -boyfriend looking nothing like the man in front of him now, and it felt like Shiro’s heart was being ripped apart.

“Adam.” He breathed, his hand growing slack in Allura’s hold until she let go and he walked forward towards the bed.

Adam couldn’t seem to figure out an emotion. He kept changing his expression from one of shock to one of irritation that looked unnatural on the man. “T-Takeshi.” It was like he was testing the word in his mouth again, and the tears to Shiro’s heart ripped wider in pain.

Shiro shook his head, stomping on the pain until it hid away, and found himself close to tears, and he reached his only hand out, to end up simply putting it on the railing. “I. I know. You were right, you know?”

Adam’s expression turned confused, his lips frowning and the knit of his eyebrows something Shiro loved to see when he was working on a particularly tricky puzzle. “About what?”

Shiro laughed weakly. “The mission. I really shouldn’t have taken it.”

The room was quiet as it seemed the world was waiting for Adam’s reply, and it seemed to take a while for him to get there. But suddenly he laughed, a weak coughing laugh, as he shook his head.

But there was a fond smile on his lips, and that was enough for the tears to slip silently down Shiro’s cheeks.

“Of course you’d be worried I would be on your ass about that.” Adam shook his head, raising his arms and gesturing for an embrace. “C’mere, crybaby. This is over five years overdue.”

Shiro gladly leant over the railing of the bed to hug Adam as tightly as a one-armed hug could be. They both held each other as if the moment they let go the other would become the ghost they feared they were.

The two heard Nazari shuffle over where Shiro had entered, and casual conversation between her and Iverson, when they heard soft armoured footsteps approach them.

“It’s… very nice to finally meet the man behind Shiro’s stories.” Allura said, and he could imagine the polite, unsure smile on her face that Adam could clearly see from over Shiro’s shoulder.

“Oh, uh, who are you?” Adam asked as he finally let go of him, one hand still on his remaining arm.

“This is A-” Shiro started to introduce before the Altean woman shook her head.

“My name is Allura. Once I had been the Princess of a planet named Altea.” She greeted with a soft smile, and held out her hand for Adam to take. “I’m the pilot for the Blue Lion of Voltron currently.” She trailed off when her eyes turned to Shiro. “And… well…”

Shiro looked around the hospital room to notice that Nazari and Iverson had headed out, the door shut to give the three privacy.

“I saw the hand-holding.” Adam spoke before either could, as he released Allura’s hand. “Married? Dating? Friends with benefits?”

“Dating. It’s been, ah, complicated the past couple years since we first met.” Allura answered, placing her hands on the railing of Adam’s bed. “But before you have any thoughts on the contrary, I initiated everything before I had known about you.”

“Alteans don’t have a sense of monogamy.” Shiro explained, skipping ahead to the end without the others able to catch up. “Just like you know I don’t, Adam.”

“Shiro would often talk about you to me late at night, all these beautiful tales of your romance.” Allura’s voice was soft, and she was giving Adam a sweet smile even if her eyes held uncertainty. “I had never met you, but I could tell… If the stories were true, you’re a good man who cares so deeply, even if your last interaction left you both hurting.”

“What are you getting at?” Adam asked, looking between Shiro and Allura with confusion.

“I still love you, Adam. I never stopped. Don’t think I ever will stop. The thought of returning home, to see you and mend everything that happened, it kept me going during the mission, then kept me alive to fight until I could escape the Galra. Even when Allura and I got together, it felt… incomplete.”

“Adam, would you think on the idea, after Sendak and the Galra have been driven out from Earth, of romancing with both myself and Shiro?” Allura asked, to the point. She put a hand onto Shiro’s missing arm’s shoulder lightly as she gave Adam the soft, vulnerable smile that meant so much to Shiro.

Adam was silent, looking between the two carefully as if he were scrutinizing them both.

He smiled.

“Okay. But on a couple conditions.” He started. “I’d like an apology date out of Takeshi first, then I think I’d like to have a simple date with you, Al-Allura?” His brows knitted together as he tested the name on his tongue. “If they both go well, sure.”

Shiro let go of the breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding the entire time he waited for Adam’s answer, and the smile on his face made him feel a good decade younger, when he and Adam had first met as roommates when they were cadets.

“When everything is done, I’ll…” Shiro looked uncertain. “I don’t think I can take you to that restaurant you loved so much, but… I’ll make something so good for that apology date. I promise, Adam.”

“You better, Takeshi.”

**Author's Note:**

> I might make an additional fic, like after the three get together, but currently I'm happy where I ended this!


End file.
